Becoming A New Person

June 1, 2009

~Denise Grant

 

“…since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” Colossians 3:9-10

 

Something To Think About:

 

~ Do you believe that people can change for the better?

 

~Have you ever written someone off because of past mistakes?

 

~Have you ever been tempted to give up on yourself?

 

 

     Are we born the way we are, or do we become the way we are through life experiences from birth?

 

     Granted, there are tons of arguments on this subject ranging from our shaping influences to discussions on genetics. Ever heard the comment, “Oh, I’m just “wired” that way?” Common expressions of this idea would include, “I can’t help it, it’s just the way I was born”; or “a leopard can’t change his spots”. Heard this one? “The nut doesn’t fall far from the tree.”  And certainly, you have used phrases such as: “Like father, like son”, and “She’s a chip off the old block.”?

 

     Great news! There is a miraculous, powerful God who is able to change even the most stubborn, damaged, spotted, and sinful heart. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV.  After accepting Christ as your Savior, the Holy Spirit gives you new life – and you are not the same person any more. You are simply beginning a new life serving a new Master.

 

     “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 When Moses came down Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments the Lord had written, his face glowed from being in God’s presence. Moses put on a veil to keep the people from being alarmed by the brightness of his face. The glory that the spirit imparts to us today, as believers, is greater both in eminence and permanence than that which Moses experienced. The glory gradually transforms the believer into Christ-likeness. The more closely you interact with him, the more you will be like Him.

 

     We have all done things for which we are ashamed, and live in the tension of our negative pasts, but because our hope is in Christ, we can let go of past guilt and look forward to what He will help us become.     

 

      Your upbringing does not matter, nor do the mistakes you’ve made in the past;  the Holy Spirit will help break negative patterns, and with grace, faith, with the help of good Godly friends, mentors and loved ones, you can say: “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 NIV.

 

     Don’t dwell on your past. Instead, grow in the knowledge of God by concentrating on your relationship with Him now. Know you are forgiven, and then move on to a life of trust and obedience.

 

God Will:

 

Give you a new heart – “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” Ezekiel 36: 26-27

 

Forgive you – “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” Ephesians 1:7-8

 

Guide Your Path - “I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble.” Proverbs 4:11-12

 

“Though your sins are like scarlet, they can be as white as snow. Though your sins are red as crimson, they shall be white like wool.” Isaiah 1:18.

 

     Because of His forgiving, life-changing power, God’s ultimate concern with your life is not where you’ve been – but where you are going.

 

 

Dear God,

 

     I ask that You convict me of whatever sin is in my life, that I might confess it to You as it comes to mind each day. I ask You to continue and complete the good work You started in me and I will live each day with the peace and assurance that I am Your child. Thank You for making me a new person through Your son, Jesus. Amen.

Denise Grant - Just "clay" in the Master Potter's hands.

 

May it be said when the sun sets on my life that many of my dreams came true, I was important in the lives of others and I consistently and faithfully served Christ.  In the end, the last is all that matters.